Which one should you have? A conditioned crawl space is when you introduce air from your existing heating and cooling system into a sealed crawlspace, which means your foundation vents are sealed from outside air and you are pressurizing your crawlspace with air from your existing HVAC unit. This system is a great solution in many homes; however, a dehumidifier is a better solution for other homes.
Last week we installed a dehumidifier into a Energy Star Rated home in Rehoboth Beach, that was built last year. The home already had been previously encapsulated. The PROBLEM was that the HVAC company had never cut in supply vents to condition the crawl space, and the hardwood floors had started to cup and buckle, an mold had started to form on floor joist, because the humidity was at 74%. After talking to the homeowner, I found out that their home is a seasonal beach home and is not occupied year round, it is used fully during summer months and occasionally during the remainder of the year. When occupied, most often the windows are open for fresh air. For this reason, we advised them to install a energy rated, ”Approved” crawl space dehumidifier. most often people think that a dehumidifier from Lowe’s or Home Depot will do the job, that is not the case. They are not designed to properly dehumidify a crawl space, and simply cannot maintain healthy moisture levels.
A crawl space dehumidifier will keep the humidity levels constant at below 55% year round, so the possibilities of mold, wet insulation, condensation, wood rot, or musty smells are eliminated. We also installed a wireless hygrometer, to better monitor the temperature and humidity levels in there crawl space at all times. Problem Solved…